Postsecondary Readiness & Success Manager

About the position

The Urban Assembly (UA) is a non-profit that promotes social and economic mobility by innovating in public education, both in its 22 New York City schools and in the solutions it offers to school districts nationwide. The Urban Assembly founded more than 20 small, career-themed high schools in New York City since 1997, pioneering career-connected education. Its school design and support enabled the Urban Assembly to develop high-impact learning solutions for schools and districts nationwide. Under the mission of advancing students' social and economic mobility by improving public education, the Urban Assembly partners with schools and districts to design and scale solutions that improve social-emotional learning, post-secondary readiness and success, and instructional quality. The UA values the uniqueness of every student, and our work honors the various social and cultural contexts from which they come. We acknowledge the historical barriers created by education systems to perpetuate the social inequities that keep students of color from accessing postsecondary and career opportunities - and commit to dismantling these barriers. Reporting to the Director of Postsecondary Readiness & Success, the Postsecondary Readiness & Success Manager occupies a key role in connecting schools with the information and resources needed to enhance postsecondary success. This role drives career-connected learning expansion, strengthens employer and higher education partnerships, and integrates AI-driven tools like CounselorGPT to support students' postsecondary transition. The Manager fosters capacity-building within schools, helping educators scale and implement systemic, sustainable solutions. An entrepreneurial and creative problem-solver, and systems-thinker, the Manager ensures seamless execution of initiatives that yield measurable outcomes, including increased FAFSA completion, dual enrollment, credentialing pathways, and informed postsecondary decision-making using labor market insights and ROI analysis.

Responsibilities

• Implement and operationalize partnership strategies developed by the Director to align industry needs with postsecondary readiness goals.
• Support institutions in cultivating and growing relationships with high-impact partners aligned with strategic school initiatives.
• Identify potential industry, community-based, or higher education partnerships; elevate these opportunities to the Director for further development and approval.
• Build stakeholder capacity to develop and refine credentialing pathways by embedding in-demand skills, updating curriculum, and incorporating work-based learning opportunities.
• Support stakeholders in implementing scaffolded work-based learning models that align experiences with grade-level outcomes.
• Expand and strengthen structured pathways into postsecondary education and careers in high-wage, high-demand fields.
• Support stakeholders in implementing early college, dual enrollment, and career certification programs.
• Lead partnerships that connect students and alumni to scholarship opportunities, internships, and apprenticeships.
• Coach and support counselors, teachers, and leaders to integrate postsecondary advising into school structures.
• Collaborate with teams to ensure consistent adoption and effective implementation of best-practices across participating schools.
• Provide cutting-edge research and evidence-based tools for enhancing postsecondary readiness and success systems, practices and outcomes.
• Support schools in designing and maintaining systems for tracking postsecondary metrics, including FAFSA completion, enrollment, and persistence.
• Conduct quarterly data reviews, generate reports, and utilize insights to improve program efficacy.
• Lead the adoption of CounselorGPT, developing protocols, curriculum, and best practices to integrate it into advising, classroom instruction, and student career exploration.
• Design and implement professional learning for school staff to ensure effective use of AI-driven postsecondary advising.
• Develop structured use case frameworks that guide students through the full advising journey-from interest & skill exploration to career discovery to postsecondary pathways.
• Pilot, refine, and scale implementation models that optimize the impact of AI-powered advising across different educational contexts.
• Monitor engagement & effectiveness, using data insights to continuously improve how students, counselors, and schools interact with the tool.
• Facilitate PLC sessions, workshops, and webinars to foster best practices and innovative strategies for school staff.
• Engage authentically with educators, school staff and other stakeholders to align initiatives with real-world challenges and opportunities.

Requirements

• 3+ years in postsecondary readiness, career pathways (workforce development), or ed-tech.
• Experience developing partnerships with employers, higher education institutions, or community-based organizations.
• Expertise in postsecondary pathways, including dual enrollment, credentialing, and alumni engagement.
• Experience with postsecondary research and workforce labor market data.
• Strong data analysis and postsecondary systems expertise.
• Background in educational research, user experience (UX) in edtech, or instructional design.
• Experience with technology integration, particularly AI-driven tools for postsecondary advising or career exploration.
• Strong ability to train and support educators, counselors, and students in adopting new technology.
• Proven ability to create and deliver training sessions, toolkits, and reports for diverse audiences.
• Knowledge of NYC public education and equity-driven practices.
• Proficiency in Google Workspace and AI-driven platforms.

Benefits

• Employer-funded healthcare
• Transit benefits
• Financial support for professional development
• Generous vacation time